The LPGA is a global organization that provides women and girls of all different backgrounds, races and ethnicities the opportunity to chase their dreams both on and off the golf course. In celebration of Black History Month, take a look at the eight African American women who have earned LPGA Tour Membership over the years.

Althea Gibson

After a successful tennis career, one that saw her win both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open twice in singles, Althea Gibson turned her focus to professional golf. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1963 and was the first African American to ever do so. Even though she never won a title on Tour, Gibson paved the way for generations of Black women to come both within and outside of the organization, as she was an excellent example of what it meant to achieve athletic success at the highest level even when facing racism and inequality outside of the sporting world.

Renee Powell

Renee Powell followed in Althea Gibson’s footsteps and became an LPGA Tour member in 1967, just four years after Gibson became the first Black player on Tour. Powell won many tournaments during her time as a junior and amateur golfer and captured the 1973 Kelly-Springfield Tournament in Australia, but she never won on the LPGA Tour. However, Powell’s legacy extends well beyond her performance on the golf course.

She is both an LPGA Professional and PGA of America Professional and served as a head pro at courses around the world, most famously at Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio, a facility her father, Bill, built and ran in the latter half of the 20th century, becoming the first African American to create his own golf course. She has been a golf commentator for major television networks and has been recognized with numerous accolades, honors that include the 2003 First Lady of Golf Award, an honorary doctorate degree in 2008 from the University of St Andrews, a 2017 induction into the PGA of America Hall of Fame and the 2019 Old Tom Morris Award.

LaRee Sugg

LaRee Sugg was the third African American to join the LPGA in 1995 and competed in 73 events during her time as a member, making 22 cuts and earning one top-10 finish, a tie for eighth that came at the 2000 Wegmans Rochester International. She also played in several major championships, and while she wasn’t able to find victory lane on the LPGA Tour, the Virginia native does have one Epson Tour victory to her credit, winning the 1998 Aurora Health Care Futures Classic while competing on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA. As an amateur, Sugg helped the UCLA Bruins women’s golf team secure a national title in 1991 in one of the only playoffs in the history of the event.

Shasta Averyhardt

Following a successful collegiate career at Jackson State University, Shasta Averyhardt joined the LPGA Tour in 2011, becoming the Tour’s first Black player to compete since Sugg retired in the early 2000s. The Michigan native was also a member of the Epson Tour, earning three top-10 finishes while competing on the circuit and collecting nearly $36,000 in career money.

Sadena Parks

Sadena Parks won two events on the Epson Tour in 2014 at the New England Charity Classic and the SEFCU Championship at Capital Hills, victorious performances that helped her finish fourth on the Official Money List and earn LPGA Tour Membership for the 2015 season. She was the first African American athlete to secure LPGA Tour status via the Epson Tour, and in her 56 LPGA starts, she made 18 cuts, collecting two career top-25 results. Parks most recently competed on the LPGA Tour in 2023, teeing it up that year in The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America in Texas.

Cheyenne Woods

Cheyenne Woods was an LPGA Tour rookie in 2015 and has made 104 starts since becoming a member of the organization that season. She made the cut in 44 of those events and has earned six career top-25 finishes, the best of which is a tie for sixth that came at the 2016 Cambia Portland Classic. Outside of competition, Woods is dedicated to growing the game of golf in any way that she can and has served on the LPGA Foundation Board over the last few years.

Ginger Gould

After finishing in a tie for 43rd at the Final Qualifying portion of LPGA Q-Series in 2015, Ginger Gould – who competed as Ginger Howard at that time – became just the seventh Black woman to earn LPGA Tour Membership, doing so for the 2016 season. She only made six LPGA starts during her rookie year, missing all six cuts. Gould also competed on the Epson Tour, first joining the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA in 2012, and earned five career top-10 results in her time as a member.

Mariah Stackhouse

Mariah Stackhouse is the most recent Black athlete to secure LPGA Tour Membership, doing so after tying for 21st at 2016 Final Qualifying to earn status for the 2017 season. She is widely considered to be one of the most successful African Americans to compete on Tour, taking home five career top-10 finishes and earning 12 total top-25 results in her time with the organization, amassing over $700,000 in official money. Stackhouse is an ambassador for Steph Curry’s Underrated Tour, a golf venture started by the NBA superstar that gives student-athletes from diverse communities competitive opportunities in an effort to help the game’s population more accurately reflect the world at large. As an amateur, Stackhouse was a member of the 2014 United States Curtis Cup Team and was an All-American at Stanford University.

Meet the Eight African American Women Who Have Earned LPGA Tour Membership

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